By S. L. LIM
Sabah Political Observer
KOTA KINABALU: The latest pledge by PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin to “return 40% of federal revenue to Sabah” is nothing more than a recycled election trick. Sabahans must not be fooled again.
The 40% Is Not a Gift – It Is Our Right
The 40% revenue entitlement is not a promise from PN or any Malaya-based party. It is a constitutional right, clearly written in Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution. When Sabah joined to form Malaysia in 1963, the federal government agreed that 40% of all net revenue collected in Sabah must be returned to the state.
This right was suspended in 1974 through an “interim arrangement” that was supposed to be temporary. In reality, it has never been restored for over 50 years.
The Scale of the Betrayal
The losses to Sabah are staggering. Independent research estimates that between 1974 and 2020, Sabah lost over RM100 billion in forgone revenue entitlements.
In 2022 alone, Sabah contributed nearly RM78 billion in oil and gas revenues through Petronas and federal collections, but only received about 5% back.
Today, despite being a resource-rich state, Sabah remains the poorest state in Malaysia, with 25% of households earning below RM2,000 a month.
Instead of justice, Sabah has been fed with crumbs disguised as “special grants” or “interim payments.”
Muhyiddin’s Record of Silence
Muhyiddin is not new to power. He has served as:
Deputy Prime Minister (2009–2015)
Home Minister (2018–2020)
Prime Minister (2020–2021)
At every stage, he had the authority to push for Sabah’s rights. He never did. Even as Prime Minister, when PN controlled Putrajaya, Muhyiddin failed to restore the 40% entitlement. Why only speak now, on the eve of elections?
Manifesto Gimmicks Cannot Replace Justice
Muhyiddin’s announcement is not about justice—it is about votes. To package a constitutional right as if it were a PN “gift” is an insult to Sabahans. It reduces our dignity to election bait.
If PN or any Malaya-based coalition were serious, they would have:
- Tabled a bill in Parliament to immediately reinstate the 40% entitlement.
- Compensated Sabah for the billions in arrears denied since 1974.
- Ensured Sabah has direct control over oil and gas revenues, not just empty grants.
Sabahans Will Decide Our Own Destiny
Sabahans are not fools. We will not be swayed by recycled promises from leaders who suddenly remember us during election season but abandon us once in power.
This is not about generosity from Putrajaya. It is about what is legally and morally ours. The 40% is not negotiable—it is our right, and Sabahans will take it back through unity, legal enforcement, and political will.
Enough of Malaya’s lies. Enough of fake promises. Justice delayed is justice denied.
